Apostles, Disciples, & Missionaries: Misguided Beliefs

What do you say when a non-relative family member criticizes your grown son because he isn’t Christian ‘enough’? When they declare that they are doing the calling of God and he isn’t. When they tell you that you and your son should be grateful for the little time they are doling out to family instead of being sad or missing their brother, their son? When they become self-righteous instead of hearing the sadness? What happens when religiosity is blinded by self and all others are inferior?

A sadness creeps in and grows. A wound appears. The wound bleeds and yet this non-relative family member speaks with a forked tongue of admonition because we aren’t as religious, because if we were we wouldn’t miss our son our brother, we would simply be grateful for the extremely limited time doled out to us and keep our mouths shut. What do you say?

What do you say when friends replace family?

Jesus asks, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" and clarifies that those who do God's will are his true family. This statement is the backbone of Christians who lay waste to family and fill the void they created with, Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

This is the life lived by my relative and non-relative in how they view family. We are not good enough and therefore are barely tolerated in a superficial way and those who are good enough replace us. Why would God demoralize the family unit simply because we are varied degrees of religiosity? When simultaneously we are told that it is Satan who reigns to divide family, to create animosity, and drive a nail through the heart…

It is an interesting conundrum given the context is about family members believing in Jesus versus those who do not. Because those same religiosity Christians often declare that Jews are The Chosen Ones. The Jews who not only don’t follow Jesus, but don’t believe in Him. So, they make an exception. While denying family, including family who do believe, just not to the extent of rampant division.

Why do scholars continue to try to justify these words of Jesus as being of a different intent from what the words state? Why do they feel the need to change the meaning, alter the translation, justify something so horribly callous? Is the translation incorrect?

In this church they choose, the Pastor has no relationship with his parents because they are Catholic and therefore not of an evangelical Jesus. His parents completely ostracized. This core to his teachings. This core born of ‘authoritarianism’. The Pastor seeing himself as a disciple with greater autonomy than his parishioners. But in actuality this term has been stolen for the purpose of power. A power over ‘congregation’. Usurping the intent which was ‘teacher’. The only authority bestowed upon a teacher is to teach. A temporary steward.

Disciples were the original ‘followers’ of Jesus in his human form and spirit. They were told to be teachers. Not rulers. Not Judgement. The Greek word is defined as a ‘pupil or apprentice’. The Latin word simply means ‘learner’. The Twelve Apostles references the chosen ones by Jesus who were sent as messengers. My nonrelative would seemingly believe they are an Apostle chosen by Jesus.

What is a Missionary? The missionary is further distinguished from his brother disciple in that he devotes his life to those in society who are considered the lowest in the human scale, the barbarian, the heathen, and the down-trodden. Missing are words ‘authoritarian’, ‘disciple’ or ‘apostle’. Thus, the missionaries role is to administer to the needs of the poor who have no religion. It is a choice. It is a calling. What it is not is a Throne from which to judge. It is a responsibility. A passionate cause. What it is not is a Power from which to condemn.

A non-relative condemning or rebuking a relatives Family from a pulpit of judgement is not doing so from a place of disciple or apostle or teacher or pupil. But from a place of false religiosity. The hurt is deep. It is profound. And it will result in the person seeing this attitude as arrogant and self-aggrandizing. A Buyer Beware Clause attached.